Seven Pakistani soldiers lost their lives, and 13 others sustained injuries in a coordinated suicide attack on a military camp in North Waziristan. The incident occurred just before peace talks between Islamabad and Kabul were scheduled in Doha.
Reportedly, a militant drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the boundary wall of the Khaddi military camp in Mir Ali. Two other attackers tried to breach the facility but were neutralized. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, attributing it to its Khalid bin Waleed suicide unit and Tehreek Taliban Gulbahadar.
Local sources revealed that the Pakistani Army deployed attack helicopters as intense clashes persisted in the area. Officials characterized the assault as one of the most severe militant offensives observed in North Waziristan in recent months.
In a separate incident, a powerful explosion shook the Mamund Tangi Shah area of Bajaur, believed to be caused by an explosives-laden vehicle parked along the roadside. No casualties have been confirmed, and security forces have sealed off the site for further investigation into potential links to militant activities.
These attacks unfolded amidst escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan triggered by a Pakistani airstrike on Kabul the previous week. Following intense clashes, both nations agreed to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire, which is set to conclude at 1300 GMT on Friday.
Persistent militant attacks have strained Pakistan’s relationship with the Afghan Taliban, who took control of Kabul after the withdrawal of US-led forces in 2021. Islamabad urged Kabul to crack down on militants launching attacks from Afghan territory, leading to the recent spike in tensions.
On Thursday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged Islamabad’s ‘retaliation’ following recurrent militant assaults from Afghanistan but expressed willingness to engage in dialogue to defuse the situation. In response, the Taliban refuted Sharif’s claims, accusing the Pakistani military of disseminating false information, escalating border tensions, and sheltering ISIS-affiliated militants to destabilize Afghanistan.